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Wisconsin Question 1, Ban on Private and Non-Governmental Funding of Election Administration Amendment (April 2024)
| Wisconsin Question 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date April 2, 2024 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
Wisconsin Question 1, the Prohibition on Non-Governmental Funding of Elections Amendment, was on the ballot in Wisconsin as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on April 2, 2024. It was approved.[1][2]
A "yes" vote supported this amendment to prohibit any level of government in the state from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration. |
A "no" vote opposed this amendment to prohibit any level of government in the state from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration. |
Election results
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Wisconsin Question 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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638,555 | 54.43% | ||
| No | 534,612 | 45.57% | ||
Overview
What did Question 1 do?
- See also: Text of measure
Question 1 amended the Wisconsin Constitution to add a section to Article III to prohibit any level of government in the state from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration. Question 1 was placed on the ballot with another amendment for the same section that provided that only election officials designated by law may administer elections. It was also approved.[2]
Do other states have similar prohibitions?
As of January 2024, 27 states had enacted laws banning or otherwise restricting the use of private donations for election administration purposes. Twenty-one of these states had a Republican trifecta when the law was adopted; the six other states had divided government at the time. No states banned or restricted private election funding prior to 2021.
In 2023, Louisiana voters approved the first state constitutional amendment designed to ban private or foreign election funding. The legislatively referred amendment was approved with 72.57% of the vote.
Who supported and opposed Question 1?
- See also: Support and Opposition
Question 1 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The vote to place Question 1 on the ballot was along party lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.
Question 1 received endorsements from Election Integrity for Wisconsin, Opportunity Solutions Project, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, and Wisconsin Voter Alliance. Kyle Koenen, the policy director of the Wisconsin Institute for Liberty & Law, said, "In the interest of upholding fairness and safeguarding the integrity of our democratic process, it is essential to maintain a non-partisan electoral system that is free from external financial influences. The concerns that have been expressed regarding Mark Zuckerberg's extensive funding of election administration in Democratic-leaning communities closely parallel the worries that would emerge if a donor with right-leaning inclinations were to direct their resources exclusively toward Republican-leaning areas. AJR 77 and SJR 78 underscore the need to establish a clear standard: private funding should not have a role in the administration of Wisconsin's elections."[3]
Question 1 was opposed by All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Sam Liebert, state director of All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin, said, "These proposals, under the guise of protecting our elections, are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to restrict voting rights and undermine the very foundations of our democratic system. It is our duty to stand firm in defending the rights and inclusivity of all eligible voters in our democracy."[4]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question for the amendment was as follows:[2]
| “ | Use of private funds in election administration. Shall section 7 (1) of Article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?[5] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article III, Wisconsin Constitution
The measure added section 7 of Article III to the state constitution. The following underlined text was added:[2]
|
Section 7 (1) No state agency or officer or employee in state government and no political subdivision of the state or officer or employee of a political subdivision may apply for, accept, expend, or use any moneys or equipment in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum if the moneys or equipment are donated or granted by an individual or nongovernmental entity.[5] |
Full text
The full text can be read here.
Support
Supporters
Officials
- State Sen. Eric Wimberger (R)
- State Rep. Tyler August (R)
Organizations
- Election Integrity for Wisconsin
- Opportunity Solutions Project
- Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
- Wisconsin Voter Alliance
Arguments
Opposition
Opponents
Organizations
- ACLU of Wisconsin
- All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin
- League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Conservation Voters
- Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Arguments
Campaign finance
If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this amendment, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
Laws governing the private funding of elections
The private funding of elections refers to the practice of nonprofits, private organizations, or individuals providing funding or other resources to election administrators for the purpose of conducting or administering an election. Debate over using private resources for election costs began after donations from individuals, such as those made by Mark Zuckerburg, to nonprofits, including the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), ahead of the 2020 general election. These organizations subsequently made a series of donations and grants to election administrators.
At the time of the election, 27 states had enacted laws banning or otherwise restricting the use of private donations for election administration purposes. Twenty-one of these states had a Republican trifecta when the law was adopted; the six other states had divided government at the time. No states banned or restricted private election funding prior to 2021.
The map below shows the landscape of private funding laws as of March 2024, including all states that had enacted laws and those states' trifecta status at the time of enactment.
Mark Zuckerberg donations to Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL) and Center for Election Innovation and Research
In the run-up to the November 3, 2020, general election, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, donated $350 million to the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL). They also donated $50 million to the Center for Election Innovation and Research, saying the money was intended to help "election officials across the nation reach their voters with critical information about voter registration, mail voting, early voting, polling locations and hours, and the vote-counting process."[6]
These donations sparked debate about the propriety of non-governmental entities providing private funding for election administration efforts. In a Newsweek op-ed, the Brennan Center's Wendy Weiser and Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, said, "[The COVID-19] pandemic poses a national emergency impacting the very foundation of our democracy, and the Senate adjourned until Labor Day without giving states and local officials the funding they need to run safe and fair elections this fall. … We have reached an extraordinary point where we have no choice but to look to civil society—the business community and other private groups and organizations—to help fill the breach." Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, said that CTCL staffers were former Democratic Party operatives whose goal was to improve Democrats' electoral prospects: "Can you imagine if the Charles Koch Foundation were to become involved with election officials? It would be front page news in The New York Times."[7][8] For more information about about CTCL grants given to local election officials in 2020, see this article.
Grants received by Wisconsin localities in 2020 by Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)
According to the 990 tax form filed by the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), local jurisdictions in 38 of Wisconsin's 72 counties received over $10 million in grants from CTCL for the 2020 general election. The table below breaks down the grant amounts by county.[9]
- See also: Louisiana Amendment 1 (2023) and Michigan Proposal 2 (2022)
In 2023, Louisiana voters approved the first state constitutional amendment designed to ban private or foreign election funding. The legislatively referred amendment was approved with 72.57% of the vote.
In 2022, Michigan voters approved a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that allowed local governments to accept charitable and in-kind donations to assist with running elections as long as donations are disclosed and aren’t from foreign entities among other changes. It was approved with 59.99% of the vote.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution
In Wisconsin, the state legislature is required to approve an amendment by majority vote in two successive sessions for the amendment to appear on the ballot.
2021-2022 legislative session
The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 101 (SJR 101). The Wisconsin State Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 21-11 with one not voting on February 22, 2022. The Wisconsin State Assembly approved SJR 101 by a vote of 58-32 with five not voting on February 24, 2022.[1]
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2023-2024 legislative session
The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 78 (SJR 78). The Wisconsin State Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 21-10 with two not voting on November 7, 2023. The Wisconsin State Assembly approved SJR 78 by a vote of 60-35 with four not voting on November 9, 2023. The resolution placed two separate questions on the April ballot related to election administration.[1]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Wisconsin
Click "Show" to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Wisconsin.
| How to cast a vote in Wisconsin | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll timesIn Wisconsin, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[10] Registration
To register to vote in Wisconsin, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Wisconsin for at least 28 days prior to the election. A voter must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day.[11] Prospective voters can register online or by mailing a form to their municipal clerk. If registering by mail, the application must be postmarked no later than 20 days before the election. In-person registration must be completed by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Prospective voters can also register in person at their municipal clerk's office up until the Friday before the election or at their polling place on Election Day. (Same-day voter registration requires proof of residency.)[11] Automatic registrationWisconsin does not practice automatic voter registration. Online registration
Wisconsin has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationWisconsin allows same-day voter registration. Residency requirementsWisconsin law requires 28 days of residency in a precinct before a person may vote. Verification of citizenshipWisconsin does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. Verifying your registrationThe site My Vote, run by the Wisconsin Election Commission, allows residents to check their voter registration status online. Voter ID requirementsWisconsin requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[12] The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2023. Click here for the Wisconsin Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
The following voters do not need to provide photo ID:[12]
Voters can obtain a free Wisconsin State ID Card at a Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles office. Voters need the following to apply for an ID:[13]
Voters who do not have all or any of the materials listed above can still obtain an ID. Call the voter ID hotline for assistance at (844) 588-1069.[13] | |||||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wisconsin State Legislature, "SJR 101," accessed January 5, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Wisconsin State Legislature, "Text of SJR 101," accessed January 5, 2023
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Testimony," accessed December 11, 2023
- ↑ All Voting is Local, "SET OF UNNECESSARY ELECTION AMENDMENTS PASSED BY WISCONSIN SENATE WILL CAUSE MORE BARRIERS TO THE BALLOT," November 7, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Facebook, "Mark Zuckerberg: October 13, 2020," accessed March 23, 2021
- ↑ Newsweek, "Let the Private Sector Help Save the Election. We Have No Choice | Opinion," September 2, 2020
- ↑ Legal Newsline, "Center for Tech and Civic Life: Democratic election operatives masquerading as concerned voters’ group, critic says," August 24, 2020
- ↑ The Foundation for Government Accountability, "The Wisconsin “Zuckerbucks” Problem: New Data Reveals Private Funding of Election Offices Was More Widespread Than Initially Estimated," July 13, 2022
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, “Election Day Voting,” accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Voter Registration and Proof of Residence," accessed May 4, 2023
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Photo ID," accessed May 4, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "wvid" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 13.0 13.1 Wisconsin Department of Transportation, "Wisconsin ID card for voting purposes - petition process," accessed May 4, 2023
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